Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful tool for small businesses looking to increase their online visibility, drive targeted traffic, and generate leads or sales. However, mastering the art of PPC isn’t always straightforward, and making the wrong decisions can lead to poorly performing campaigns and wasted marketing budgets. To help you steer clear of these obstacles, we’ve compiled the top 5 small business PPC mistakes to avoid, along with actionable solutions to improve your overall campaign performance.
In this article, we’ll shed light on common challenges faced by small businesses venturing into the world of PPC advertising, including keyword selection, ad copy and landing page optimisation, bidding strategies, and account structure. Armed with these insights and solutions, you’ll be well-equipped to make informed decisions, optimise your budget allocation, and achieve better conversion rates in your PPC campaigns.
1. Inadequate Keyword Research: Finding the Right Balance
Selecting the most relevant and cost-effective keywords is a vital aspect of a successful PPC campaign. Failing to conduct comprehensive keyword research can lead to targeting overly broad or irrelevant keywords, increasing the chances of poor ad performance and wasted ad spend. Here are some tips for effective keyword research:
– Use keyword research tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to generate keyword ideas based on your business offerings, location, and target audience.
– Identify your competitors’ keywords using tools like SpyFu or SEMrush, and consider targeting them if relevant.
– Focus on long-tail keywords – longer, more specific phrases that have lower search volume but higher conversion rates due to their precision. Long-tail keywords typically have lower competition, resulting in lower costs per click (CPCs).
– Regularly review and update your keywords, removing underperforming ones and adding new opportunities, as search trends and user behaviour change over time.
2. Weak Ad Copy and Landing Page Experience: Enhance Relevance and Engagement
A compelling ad copy is essential for attracting user attention and increasing click-through rates (CTRs). Additionally, a strong landing page experience can significantly improve conversion rates. Avoid the crucial mistake of neglecting these elements by following these tips:
– Write engaging headlines and descriptions, addressing the user’s search intent and presenting a clear value proposition that differentiates your business from the competition.
– Incorporate your keywords into the ad copy to improve relevancy and quality score, which affects ad ranking and CPCs.
– Use strong call-to-action (CTA) phrases that prompt users to take a desired action (e.g., “Learn More,” “Buy Now,” or “Schedule a Consultation”).
– Design landing pages that are consistent with your ad copy, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. Maintain a clear focus on your targeted keywords and conversion goals.
– Optimise landing pages for mobile devices, with responsive design and fast loading times, as more than half of web traffic originates from mobile phones.
3. Ineffective Bidding Strategies: Choose the Right Approach for Your Goals
Mismanaged bidding strategies can lead to overspending on irrelevant keywords or lost impressions due to underbidding. Mitigate this common mistake by following these best practices:
– Select an appropriate bidding strategy based on your campaign goals and budget. For example, use manual CPC bidding for granular control over keyword bids, target CPA bidding to drive conversions at a specified cost per acquisition, or automated Maximize Clicks bidding to maximise clicks within a set budget.
– Implement bid adjustments for specific targeting options, like device, location, ad schedule, or audiences, to optimise ad spend for segments that show better performance.
– Monitor campaign performance, adjusting bids as necessary to improve ad position and return on ad spend (ROAS).
4. Disorganised Account Structure: Ensure Coherent and Manageable Campaigns
A well-organised account structure is crucial for campaign management, performance tracking, and optimisation. Avoid this common PPC pitfall by adhering to the following guidelines:
– Organise your campaigns based on themes, product/service categories, or target audience segments, making it easier to manage budgets, monitor performance, and identify areas for improvement.
– Use ad groups within campaigns to categorise sets of related keywords, keeping ad copy and landing pages tightly matched to these keywords for better relevancy and quality scores.
– Add negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches or conflicts between ad groups, preventing wasted ad spend and improving overall conversion rates.
5. Overlooking Conversion Tracking and Analytics: Measure Your Results
The power of PPC lies in its measurability. However, many small businesses overlook the importance of setting up conversion tracking and analysing campaign data. To get the most out of your PPC efforts, follow these steps:
– Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads, enabling you to measure conversions, such as form submissions, sales, or phone calls, that result from your PPC ads.
– Regularly analyse your campaign performance, monitoring key metrics like conversions, conversion rate, CPC, CTR, and ROAS. Identify areas for improvement and take action accordingly.
– Use Google Analytics for deeper insights into user behaviour after clicking on your ads, such as time on site, bounce rate, and pages per session.
By being aware of these common PPC mistakes and implementing the recommended solutions, your small business can build a strong, high-performing PPC campaign that drives meaningful results, optimises budget allocation, and achieves better conversion rates.
Conclusion
By sidestepping these common PPC mistakes and taking strides to improve keyword research, optimise ad copy and landing pages, utilise effective bidding strategies, maintain a coherent account structure, and leverage conversion tracking and analytics, your small business can truly harness the power of PPC advertising. However, navigating this complex world can be a daunting task, and that’s where Fan The Flames Marketing & Design Ltd. can help.
As a leading digital marketing agency, Fan The Flames Marketing & Design Ltd. is committed to assisting small businesses like yours with innovative PPC solutions tailored to your specific objectives and needs. Our team of PPC experts is dedicated to ensuring campaign success, providing guidance and support to help you maximise ROI and achieve lasting growth.
Ready to elevate your small business PPC campaigns and avoid costly mistakes? Contact Fan The Flames Marketing & Design Ltd. today to learn more about our PPC services in Bristol and let’s skyrocket your online presence and conversions together.
